Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-10-15
LITTLE BEN.

barges, was lying at the bank at Cairo, Ill.
She was the only boat in sight that showed
any sign of life; all the others were laid
up for the winter; navigation was perilous.
The great river was choked and full of
huge masses of floating ice, and all the
land was deep with snow and sleet. 1t
was intensely cold. 1t was the 22d of De-
cember
81 didn't mean to go as 4 passenger"
said the voice. Il thought maybe YOU
might let me work my way along with the
crew"
"No; got all the hands we want be-
Iieve," said the Captain, busy with his
bills.
Captain, I'll work mighty hard-Cap-
tain, please, can't / go with you, sir?"
He tried to speak bravely, but it was pain
fully evident that he was forcing back
sob.
The Captain finished his waybill and
looked up at his visitor.
"Well, be dr. said the Captain.
81 know Pm mighty little, Captain"
said the boy as he stood by the stove, "but
I'm twelve years old, and Pll work hard
20 anybody, sir"
That's all right, sonny" said the Cap
tain. What's your name, anyhow ?"
"Ben," answered the boy.
SO you want to go to st. Louis. do you,
Ben? What do you want to go there for ~
The boy looked at the bluff officer
moment, and then he said
It's almost Christmas, and promised
mother was coming home. Mother lives
In St. Louis"
His simple words touched the Captain.
The Captains mother lived in ST. Louis,
too, and he was trying to reach home in
time to spend the holidays with her.
"Well, what's the matter?" asked the
Captain. Amt you got no money? Set
down here, little chap, and tell us about it.
Looks like you've been having a pretty
tough time"
The boy sat down, and the Captain by
much questioning obtained his story. His
parents had resided in New Orleans He
was born there. His father was an artist.
who made a sufficient income to support
his family in comfort and to send his son
to a musical school. Two years before his
father died suddenly, and his mother
moved to St. Louis, where she invested her
funds in trade and opened modest little
millinery establishment in one of the
,noorer sections of the city. Business did
not flourish with the widow, but she man
aged by dint of saving to keep her boy at
school.
81 never knew but what mother had
plenty Of money" said the boy, in his
simple way. "She always gave me every
thing l wanted, till one day last summer
she came to my room, and [ was singing
and playing on my guitar large tear
drops had been slowly forming in the boys
eyes he hastily brushed them away with
the back of his hand. "She looked So
pretty" he said, that | ran up to her and
kissed her. She was smiling when she
came in my room, but when | kissed her
she laid her head on my shoulder and
cried, and it nearly killed me never saw
mother cry before. And she said she was
Just nervous and nothing was the matter ;
but | made her tell me, and she said her
money was nearly gone, and she was afraid
would have to stop music lessons. And
/ told her not to cry, cause I'd make
money for her, and, Captain, | done it,
too" There was tone of triumph in his
voice, and for a moment his pale face
flushed with conscious pride.
81 never told mother what | was going
to do knew she wouldn't let me-but l
took my guitar and went out of the house,
and then | wrote mother a note and told
her was going away for little while,
and / would write to her every day and
send her money. | walked from one town
to another all the summer, and in the
evenings ] used to stand on the corner and
sing, and people gave me lots of money.
Gent it all to mother, except little kept
TO pay my board. | told mother / was in
business. never said what business.
made plenty of money in the summer time,
u, Il. i III.
make so much, and | sent it all to mother,
and sometimes slept outdoors. And then
/ got sick and | had chills every day, and
they shook me all to pieces, and couldn't
sing like | used to, and people stopped
paying me, and l sold my guitar to man
and l sent the money to mother.
" And every letter | got from mother
she was begging me to come home, and she
said she did not need my money and bust
ness was getting good but, you see, Cap
tain, she fooled me once before. | knew
she would say anything to get me back !;
but the last letter | wrote to her told Der
l was coming home and I'd be there for
Christmas. And yesterday and last night
i walked all the way from Paducah
through the snow, and, Captain, l can't
walk any more"
He had forgotten his present trouble in
the recital of his adventures. He seemed
suddenly to remember his condition. He
looked at the Captain with great, pleading
eyes.
Captain" he almost sobbed, "Pn
work Please, sir, let me go" and then
the little chap broke down and the
tears had to come.
The Captain got up and had to look
through the little window He blew his
nose and wiped it carefully. Then he sat
down again.
"Well, WE'LL" he said, 81 wouldn't cry
about it, sonny. | reckon we can fix it fol
you, expect you do want to see youl
mother sure 'nuf.'
Thank you, sir" said the boy, drying
his eyes, l never will forget your kind.
ness, Captain, and now Pm ready for work y
The Captain looked at the boy and
laughed.
You needn't do anything, sonny, Just
stay aboard and make yourself comforta-
BILE"
But the boy persisted and the Captain
told him to go below and do whatever the
mate commanded
They had supper in dirty mess-room
where the men slept on little shelves
against the wall He was glad when he
crept in between the rough blankets, and
he listened to the men talking about one
Bill Howe, who, it appeared was an ex
tremely unpopular parsonage employed as
captain of the watch. Their converse
ton was not of interest to Ben. He wa.
soon asleep. At midnight he was awak
ened by the gruff voice of a man who wa.